The present invention relates to a portable doorstop having ergonomic advantages.
Doorstops are used in various professions and in everyday use for holding a door open. Most doorstops are placed under a lower edge of the door by an individual who must bend over to place the doorstop into position. The doorstop is then often kicked into position under the door to hold the door into place. Kicking the doorstop into place under the lower edge of the door causes damage to the door. However, not using a doorstop causes scratches and damage to the door by an object being forced through the doorway.
In certain professions such as maintenance, delivery and janitorial, propping a door open with the doorstop is done many times in one day. The repeated action of bending down to the floor to place the doorstop puts a stress on the individual""s back. Thus, repeated use of a doorstop can lead to back injuries for the individual. Some persons, such as the elderly or handicapped are unable to bend down to place a doorstop to hold a door open and often lack other means for holding the door open.
There is a need for a doorstop that is portable and can be used by an individual multiple times a day, has ergonomic advantages preventing back injuries or bending down, does not damage the door and is easy to use.
The present invention is a doorstop. Which includes a telescoping handle and a foot mounted at a lower end of the handle. Preferably, the handle has a length that allows a user to insert the foot under a lower edge of a door and to remove the foot from under the lower edge without requiring the user to bend over.
In one preferred embodiment of the doorstop, the handle comprises an inner tube having an upper end and a lower end. The lower end of the inner tube is mounted to the foot of the doorstop and the upper end has a hole. A spring pin is disposed within the inner tube and extends through the hole of the inner tube. An outer tube slides over the inner tube and is slidable between a collapsed position and at least one extended position. Preferably, the spring pin secures the outer tube in either the collapsed position or the extended position.
In another preferred embodiment of the doorstop, the foot is comprised of three portions. A first sloped portion is located at one end of the foot and a second sloped portion is located at an opposite end of the foot. The second sloped portion preferably has a different slope than the first sloped portion. A central portion is raised between the first and second sloped portions and the central portion has a vertical bore adapted for receiving the lower end of the handle.